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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26144911">For Future Reference</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbow_nerds/pseuds/rainbow_nerds'>rainbow_nerds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Steve Rogers, Beefy Bucky Barnes, Communication Failure, Explicit Consent, Friends to Lovers, Geraskier shipping, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Resolved Sexual Tension, Roommates, Sexual Tension, compromising positions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:13:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26144911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbow_nerds/pseuds/rainbow_nerds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Bucky helps Steve take reference pictures for his fanart, and one time he really doesn't.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>256</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For Future Reference</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This idea was sparked by a <a href="https://twitter.com/anta_baka00/status/1284146642053029888">tweet</a>, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head for the last month, so naturally I wrote this entire thing today and decided just to post it before I could overthink it anymore!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~*~*~ 1 ~*~*~</p><p>The first time, it’s totally innocent. Steve has gotten a commission for a portrait of one of his favourite characters, but the client had been very specific about the pose they wanted in the briefing, and Steve cannot find a suitable reference pose <em> anywhere </em>on the internet. He had even tried to recreate it himself, but he isn’t tall enough to balance himself in the position.</p><p>“Hey, Buck?” He calls over his shoulder to where Bucky is sitting on the sofa, watching TV. His drawing desk is in the living room, because there really isn’t any space in his bedroom to have any degree of comfort. Bucky pauses whatever he had been watching and looks over.</p><p>“What’s up, Steve?” </p><p>“Could you do me a favour?” Bucky stands up and walks over, and Steve shows him the brief he had gotten. “Could you just pose like this for a sec? I’m working on this drawing and I can’t get it right without a reference.” Bucky nods nonchalantly, and goes to stand by the window, placing one knee on the windowsill and resting his arm on the frame as though he’s about to climb out. He looks back at the camera over his shoulder.</p><p>“Is this okay?” he asks, and Steve cross-references it with the brief.</p><p>“Could you just stretch your other arm up to the top of the window frame?” Bucky does as instructed, and in the process of stretching, the shirt he’s wearing pulls up, revealing a bare inch of skin, the edges of tattoos just peeking out from below the fabric. Steve’s eyes are caught by the sight, and his mouth goes dry. </p><p>The combination of the exposed skin, and the way the raised leg casts his ass into perfect relief have Steve stunned. He’s certainly no stranger to ogling Bucky Barnes in secret, but he still sends a silent thank you to the person who commissioned the artwork for giving him this opportunity, and only feels a little bad about it. They have a good taste in poses.</p><p>“Is this alright? It’s not exactly the most comfortable of poses.” Steve jerks out of his reverie, snaps a couple of pictures from different angles, and then tells Bucky he can relax.</p><p>“That’s perfect Buck, you’re a total lifesaver.” He loads the pictures onto his laptop so he can see them properly while he draws, and Bucky goes back to the TV.</p><p>He sets to work then, sketching and then outlining the image, making much better progress with Bucky’s reference than without, even if he does occasionally stare a little harder at the reference image than he usually would. </p><p>He’s actually really proud of the artwork when he finishes it, and the person who commissioned it from him sends an enthusiastic keysmash, telling him it was <em> exactly </em>what they had imagined and sharing it to their own large following.</p><p>When he starts getting a bunch of new followers from it, he shows Bucky excitedly.</p><p>“Look, I’m past 1000 now! This is crazy!” </p><p>Bucky just smiles at him, and says it’s nothing less than he deserves.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~ 2 ~*~*~</p><p>The second time is mostly an accident. Steve had filled all of his commission slots after posting the first one, and he is making his way through them one by one. He usually only gets solo commissions, but there are actually a few featuring more than one character which he’s excited to get to.</p><p>He finds himself stuck for a reference image again on the first ship art he tries his hand at, so he makes his way into the bathroom to try and figure something out himself. They had asked for the characters to be embracing, with Geralt’s hands sneaking into the waistband of Jaskier’s pants. </p><p>Steve is standing shirtless with his back to the mirror, trying to contort himself into position, wrapping his arms around his body in an attempt to create something which resembles the pose he’s looking for. He gets a dozen blurry shots before he’s interrupted.</p><p>“Everything alright in here?” Bucky asks from the doorway, and Steve cringes. He hadn’t bothered closing the door properly, thinking Bucky was still at work.</p><p>“Just trying to figure out another pose,” he explains sheepishly, folding his arms over his bare chest self-consciously. Bucky glances from him to the mirror, then to the phone propped up to take pictures on a timer.</p><p>“Anything I can help with, since I’m here?” Steve thinks about the pose, thinks about Bucky helping with the pose, and tries to come up with some excuse not to agree. Bucky then seems to notice the scrap of note paper where Steve had jotted down the main points he was trying to get in the reference, alongside some rough sketches.</p><p>“Oh, this is easy, c’mere.” Bucky picks up the phone and reaches out for Steve, pulling him close. “What camera angle did you want?” Steve manages to describe the shot he had been hoping to get, and Bucky sets it up, then props the phone up again and wraps his arms around Steve.</p><p>Steve tries really hard not to think about Bucky’s hands on his back as they slide down, just brushing against the waistband of his jeans.</p><p>“This okay, or…?” Bucky asks, and Steve nods without thinking. Bucky’s hands slide down further, not fully cupping his ass cheeks but resting there, under his jeans but over his underwear. Steve manages to fulfill his part of the pose, resting one hand on Bucky’s chest and the other cupping his jaw. The phone timer snaps, and Bucky pulls his hands back out. </p><p>Steve grabs the phone and checks the picture.</p><p>“Is it okay?” Bucky asks, and Steve nods.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s… Yeah. Perfect.” Bucky nods cheerfully and heads out of the bathroom, loudly talking about what he’s going to make for dinner. </p><p>Steve splashes some cold water on his face and pulls his shirt back on before heading out after him and starting up his drawing program. This time he doesn’t even pretend not to stare at the picture while he draws the pairing. </p><p>Once again, the picture is a hit, people commenting on the tenderness of the expressions in the characters’ faces, the way Steve had rendered the light shining in on them through a nearby window, and the gentle possessiveness of Geralt’s hands on Jaskier. </p><p>It’s a great piece, but Steve can hardly look at it without longing for Bucky to touch him like that again, without the ruse of a reference picture to hide behind. </p><p> </p><p>~*~*~ 3 ~*~*~</p><p>After that, it becomes an established routine. Bucky is a ready and willing model for Steve’s art, and as much as Steve wishes things could be more between them, he can’t say no. Besides, it saves him a lot of time, just asking Bucky to pose rather than spending hours trawling through photography sites and google to find the perfect reference for an image. </p><p>Steve generally spends between two days and a week on each commission, depending on the level of detail required, so when it comes time to start on a new one he calls Bucky over to work on the pose.</p><p>This one is supposed to be a hurt/comfort piece, Geralt holding a wounded Jaskier in his arms, carrying him away from danger while Jaskier bled in his arms. Steve’s mind is running ahead of himself at the prospect, and he can’t wait to get started on it. When Bucky gets home from work, he rushes to show him the prompt.</p><p>“God, Steve that’s gonna be so fucking heartbreaking in your style. Need help with the pose?” Steve grins and nods, barely giving Bucky time to put down his bag before he’s pulling him out into the small amount of open floor space they have in their tiny apartment.</p><p>The phone is set up to take a picture every five seconds, and Steve gets Bucky into position.</p><p>“You okay to lift me?” Bucky nods and reaches out to scoop him up into a fireman’s carry, and Steve squeals. </p><p>“Not like that, oh my god!” Steve squirms but Bucky holds him tight, one arm on his waist and the other wrapped around his thigh. Steve hits Bucky's back until he puts him down and tries his best not to think about how easily Bucky picked him up and held him in place.</p><p>He glares at Bucky, who just laughs.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. You should see your face!” Steve glares harder, and Bucky just keeps laughing. Finally, he calms down, and Steve tells him to pick him up in more of a bridal carry.</p><p>“All right, all right. C’mere then.” Bucky puts an arm around his back and then reaches down to lift his legs, and Steve’s hands automatically reach up, wrapping around Bucky’s shoulders  to stabilise himself.</p><p>“Okay, so I’m going to sort of play dead alright? You got me?” Bucky nods, and Steve takes half a second to stare into his eyes, thinking about how close they are, before letting his head fall back and making his arms go limp. Bucky swears suddenly, and Steve feels himself slip.</p><p>He reaches up quickly, gripping Bucky tight, and looks up to see him flushing.</p><p>“Sorry, lost my grip. You good?” Steve nods, heart racing. Bucky tells him to relax a little less abruptly this time, and Steve does so. They stay like that, in position long enough for the phone to take several shots, just in case some of them are blurry.</p><p>Bucky gently lets go of Steve’s legs and helps him stand, before stretching his arms out. Steve stops the camera on the phone, then watches Bucky while pretending to look through the pictures.</p><p>“Get the shot?” Steve darts his eyes back to the camera roll and sees close to a hundred pictures of them together, from the fireman’s carry, Bucky laughing, and then the various stages of the final pose.</p><p>“Yeah, Buck. It’s gonna be great.”</p><p>When it comes to uploading the pictures to his laptop this time, Steve quietly selects some of his favourites and saves them to a separate folder, just for him.</p><p>He selects the one of Bucky looking at him in concern after he had almost fallen, and makes it his phone wallpaper.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>~*~*~ 4 ~*~*~</p><p>“Bucky?” Steve is slightly apprehensive about this one, if he’s being entirely honest. It’s nothing particularly risque, but for some reason it feels more intimate than what they’ve done before for these reference images.</p><p>It’s later than usual, and Bucky is reclining on the sofa, eating chips from a bowl next to him when Steve finishes his preliminary sketches.</p><p>“You ready?” Bucky asks, wiping the dust off his hands and moving to stand up.</p><p>“No, wait!” Bucky freezes, a confused expression on his face, and Steve blushes. “Sorry, I just meant -- Stay there. This one’s sitting down.” Bucky relaxes back and puts the bowl of chips to one side.</p><p>“Okay, just tell me how you want me,” he says, and Steve has to take a second to clear his mind of all of the ideas that simple sentence sparked in him. </p><p>“Just there, as you are. Could you maybe, uh. Take off your shirt?” Bucky raises an eyebrow at Steve’s hesitation, but pulls his shirt off without hesitation. Steve takes in the tattoos covering his chest and arms, and then gets the phone camera ready to go before turning back to Bucky.</p><p>“Okay, this one is more about the story behind it, they weren’t super specific about the pose, so I just want you to go along with me okay?” Bucky nods and gestures for him to go ahead, and Steve nods curtly before climbing into his lap. Bucky blinks up at him in surprise, and Steve struggles to retain composure.</p><p>“So basically, they’re about to hook up, the only guideline was they wanted me-- Jaskier, I mean -- to be straddling Geralt’s lap, like this, and they wanted Geralt to be shirtless. Tonally, they want it to be sexy but loving, I guess?” Bucky nods and reaches out.</p><p>“I can work with that,” he says, and then he reaches out and takes Steve’s hands, putting them in his hair and instructing him to take a fistful. He reaches his arms around Steve’s back, hiking up his shirt and gripping it, and Steve’s heart leaps out of his chest when he leans forward and touches his forehead to Steve’s.</p><p>Steve can practically hear his heart beating, and he’s sure Bucky can as well. He holds himself up slightly so Bucky won’t feel the way the close contact is affecting his dick. They hold the pose for another couple of seconds, until Bucky clears his throat awkwardly. Steve releases his hair and pulls back, unable to tear his eyes away from how it was mussed up by his grip. He climbs delicately off of Bucky, attempting to disguise his arousal by keeping his back to him while he checks the phone.</p><p>“Hey, good call on the forehead touch,” he bluffs while he clicks through, once he manages to calm down a little. “It was really--” He turns and cuts himself off when he comes face to face with an empty room.</p><p>Bucky had disappeared somewhere, leaving him alone. He felt embarrassed, like maybe Bucky had sensed what was happening with him and gotten out of there because he felt uncomfortable. Steve sat down at his desk, staring at the images.</p><p>It was absolutely perfect for the commission -- the camera had captured them in profile, so his own expression was visible, and he could see his love for Bucky clear as day in the way he was holding Bucky close by the hair. Bucky’s arms were flexed, muscles clearly defined with tattoos snaking over his arms as well as the hint of rib cage which was visible in the picture. </p><p>The character Bucky was posing as doesn’t have tattoos, but Steve still took time to trace their lines in the reference image, wondering if he could draw them in anyway without making it entirely obvious he was drawing himself and his roommate, rather than Jaskier and Geralt. He left them out in the end, but he did keep a draft where the hair colours weren’t filled in, and he sketched Bucky’s tattoos there too.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~ 5 ~*~*~</p><p>Steve is blushing scarlet when Bucky gets home from work the next week. He makes an effort to hide his screen, but Bucky is too quick.</p><p>“Is that Ao3? What are you reading?” Steve turns with a sheepish smile. </p><p>“Oh, well… The person who commissioned that last drawing actually wrote a short fic based on it,” he explains, and Bucky’s expression brightens.</p><p>“Oh my wow, that’s awesome! Can I read it?” Steve panics and shuts the laptop screen.</p><p>“Maybe later,” he stammers. “It’s short, you probably wouldn’t--” Bucky raises an eyebrow, and Steve tries to smile innocently.</p><p>“Why don’t you want me to read it? Is it smutty?” Bucky asks with a smirk and a waggle of his eyebrows, and Steve blushes fiercely.</p><p>“I mean, yeah, a little…” he trails off. Bucky goes over to Steve’s desk and opens the screen, turning with puppy dog eyes when the password screen comes up. Steve hesitates.</p><p>“Oh, c’mon Steve, of course it was gonna be smutty, where else would that pose have led?” Steve couldn’t argue with that, had in fact imagined the scenario on many occasions; in bed and in the shower since that day. </p><p>“I’ll send you the link later, alright? Once I’ve had a chance to read it myself. I have another commission I need a reference for first, though.” Bucky pouts and rolls his eyes, closing the laptop again.</p><p>“I get it, gotta work before I get the reward.” Steve laughs at his exaggerated tone and expression, and starts describing his next commission. The truth was, he wasn’t quite ready to take the reference pictures yet, but he knows he couldn’t be in the same room as Bucky while either of them are reading that fic, or he would be a goner.</p><p>Of course, once he finishes describing the pose to Bucky, he comes to the realisation this may not be the best mode of distraction to avoid compromising himself, because it will require him to pin Bucky to the wall, flush together from the waist down, holding Bucky’s arms together above his head.</p><p>Bucky’s eyes widen when Steve finishes the description.</p><p>“Right, well… let’s do that, then.” </p><p>They get into position, and it’s more than a little awkward; Steve trying to keep his attention firmly on puppies and baby elephants rather than how easy it would be for him to raise himself up and press his lips to Bucky’s, roll his hips and have Bucky moan into his mouth. </p><p>He pulls away with a start. </p><p>“Great, thanks! I’ll send you that link, okay? I’m just gonna--” Steve grabs his phone, gestures behind him to the door of his bedroom, and rushes in, closing the door and falling face first onto the bed. He unlocks his phone to look at today’s pictures, then clicks over into <em>Archiveofourown</em> to read the fic himself.</p><p>It’s only about two thousand words long, but it’s intense and filled with desperate heat which pools tangibly in Steve’s stomach. He doesn’t even try not to imagine himself and Bucky in the place of the main pairing, carrying on from the position they had been in just a week before.</p><p>He unzips his jeans and kicks them off, listening carefully to be sure Bucky wouldn’t hear him while he jerks himself off.</p><p>When he finishes, he stays in his room for a while, not wanting to make it obvious what he was doing. He cleans up a little, then sends the link to Bucky and waits another hour, until Bucky calls him out to ask if he wants to order something for dinner.</p><p>Steve thinks he has successfully avoided the conversation, until Bucky looks up at him from over his dish of chow mein and raises an eyebrow.</p><p>“That was one hell of a fic, right?” Steve nods and takes a bite out of a wonton to avoid embarrassing himself any further.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~ +1 ~*~*~</p><p>Steve looks at the brief for his next commission, and his eyes go wide. There is absolutely no way he is asking Bucky for help this time. He may be desperate, but even <em> he </em>isn’t that much of a masochist.</p><p>He revisits his reference sites, trying to remember how he had found reference images pre-Bucky. He’s three pages deep in image results when Bucky arrives home.</p><p>“New commission?” Bucky asks, looking over his shoulder. Steve jumps about a mile and turns around to glare at him.</p><p>“Do <em> not </em> sneak up on me like that, Bucky Barnes.” Bucky laughs and apologises, then gestures at the screen.</p><p>“New commission?” he asks again, and Steve nods.</p><p>“Yeah. Don’t worry though, I’m not gonna make you pose for this one, it’s more ‘<em> not safe for work’ </em> than my usual stuff, but hey, they’re paying double, so…” Bucky goes quiet, and Steve tries not to overthink it as he turns and continues his hunt for a reference. </p><p>He had been about to change tactics and open <em>pornhub</em> to find a screencap which he could use, but it feels more than a little weird doing that with Bucky here, so he just continues to scroll. Bucky remains a solid presence at his back, just standing there, looking at the screen.</p><p>“What if I wanted to?” he asked, and Steve almost closes out of the page he’s on in surprise. He turns slowly to look at Bucky again, still standing where he had been since he came in, an odd expression on his face which Steve can’t quite place.</p><p>“What do you mean?” he asks, and Bucky takes a step back, leaning against the back of the sofa.</p><p>“I’m happy to help with a reference, no matter what kind of drawing it’s for. Show me the request.” Bucky’s voice is calm, but there’s a hint of something else behind it, a tightness to his relaxed posture that keeps Steve on edge while he clicks over to his inbox and shows Bucky the conversation he had with the client about the commission. Bucky comes back over, leaning over his shoulder to read the description.</p><p>“Yeah, sure we could do that. I’ll be Geralt and you’ll be Jaskier, right?” Steve reads the email again and swallows.</p><p>“I mean, yeah. If that’s… If you’re comfortable with that, it would definitely… help.” Bucky steps back, matter-of-factly removing his shirt and unbuttoning his jeans.</p><p>“If you need a little time to… get yourself there, that’s fine,” Steve says, when Bucky turns away for a moment and he can catch his breath.</p><p>“Oh, actually… I’m good. If you --,” Steve chokes on his tongue at that, at the idea that Bucky is already hard, ready to go.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m good too.” His voice is a little breathless as he stands and makes his way over to Bucky, reaching out to turn him so they're facing each other. Bucky’s eyes are wide, disbelieving, and Steve lets his gaze drift down to Bucky’s open zipper, where there is in fact a tell-tale bulge in the green boxer briefs he’s wearing.</p><p>They’re silent as they get into position; Steve sitting up on the kitchen worktop (which would be replaced by a tree stump in the final drawing) -- a towel underneath him for hygiene -- and Bucky standing between his legs. Steve wraps his legs around Bucky’s waist and pulls him in closer, and then there’s only one thing left to do.</p><p>“You’re sure about this?” Steve asks, and Bucky nods.</p><p>“Absolutely. You?” Steve can only nod vigorously before he’s reaching out and pulling Bucky’s cock free from his underwear, groaning when Bucky does the same for him. He tugs a little at Bucky’s waistband, pulling it down so his pants rest below his ass. Bucky raises an eyebrow at him. That wasn’t part of the request.</p><p>“Artistic licence,” he murmurs, and then gasps when Bucky’s hand wraps around his length.Steve glances down to see Bucky’s cock, longer and thicker than his own, and dark purple at the tip as opposed to his own red. The remaining artistic part of his brain tries to think of how he would render the solid lines of it, but then Bucky moves his hand, and all thoughts of art leave Steve’s mind.</p><p>He reaches out and wraps his hand around Bucky, who moans low in the back of his throat in response. Steve starts to pump his fist and Bucky’s head drops forward onto his shoulder while he continues to tease Steve with slow, luxurious strokes. Steve tries to match his pace, but then Bucky turns his head and licks a series of kisses into Steve’s neck.</p><p>“Fuck, Bucky. Please.” He can feel Bucky’s smile against his skin.</p><p>“You like that, huh?” He pulls back and meets Steve’s eyes, then leans forward ever so slightly. Steve lunges forward and uses his free hand to pull Bucky into a kiss, tangling his free hand into the hair which had escaped from the bun he was wearing. Bucky hums into the kiss, and his hand picks up speed, drawing a whine out of Steve. Bucky doesn’t break the kiss, but pulls Steve to the edge of the worktop, then leans in to bring their cocks together. </p><p>Steve interrupts the rhythm he had established to wrap his hand around both of them, Bucky’s larger hand coming to envelop his own. He lets Bucky set the pace, slow at first, but building speed as Steve feels himself growing close. He loses himself in the heat and sensation of Bucky’s lips on his, Bucky’s cock rutting against his own, until a wet heat spills over both their hands, and Bucky comes with a shout.</p><p>“Steve, fuck, ahhh.” Steve keeps up the pace, pumping Bucky through his orgasm, but the sound of his own name spilling from Bucky’s lips in a moan of ecstasy is enough to send him over the edge too, and he crashes his lips against Bucky’s again while he comes.</p><p>Bucky takes the edge of the towel Steve is sitting on and tenderly wipes him down without pulling away, and Steve smiles up at him.</p><p>“That was… wow. Thanks.” Steve stammers, and Bucky looks around him.</p><p>“You know you never set up the camera, right?” Steve blushes and looks up at Bucky through his eyelashes.</p><p>“Oops.” They both laugh, and Bucky wraps his arms around Steve again, looking hesitant. Steve leans in, telegraphing each movement, and kisses Bucky sweetly.</p><p>“Guess we’ll have to try again later,” Bucky muses between kisses.</p><p>“Guess so.”</p><p>They do eventually get the reference picture, and the drawing becomes one of Steve’s most popular posts.</p>
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